Just a memory
by Milita
Summary: Cho resives a visit, a very unusual one. Kinda sad.


JUST A MEMORY  
  
Author's Note: Suddenly I became really interested in writing about impossible loves. I hope you like it, it's a Cho + Cedric thing. I wrote it after watching the end o a Chilean soap opera and you know how I felt...  
  
Disclaimer: I usually forget about this things, but...um...whatever. I don't own Harry Potter, or Cho Chang or Cedric Diggory. I won't ever-own quidditch (that's too bad), and I don't own that weird game which I don't even know the name from. I own Arisu and the plot...  
  
Dedication: To Nard, thanks for everything and for being so patient with my e-mails, Merry Christmas! (Sorry for the delay)  
  
  
  
  
I looked down at the muggle thing Arisu had placed right in front of me. It looked as common as every single muggle thing I had seen in my life, by the first look at it I could tell it wasn't really magic. It looked like a board game, it seemed like a dull board game that had the whole alphabet written on it and two other words, "yes" and "no", plus some weird sings.  
Arisu was holding also a kind of transparent or plastic triangle, she was smiling excitedly.  
"So... This is a..." I said trying to get Arisu to tell me exactly how that thing worked and how it could help me. Help me get a last moment to talk to him.  
"I'm not really sure 'bout the name, Cho" said Arisu smiling as if the name and how to use it didn't mind at all "You see, my cousin gave me this thing for my birthday, I never learned how to use it..." she giggled as if the risk of using that strange muggle thing without instructions was half the fun.  
I smiled too, just to thank her for her worry. You see, Arisu is my best friend since I arrived at Hogwarts. She's not at all like the rest of my friends, she doesn't like discussing which robes are more fashionable or which quidditch player is the cutest, no, Arisu never liked that. She was special, like Cedric. They're both the most special people I've meet in my whole life, even thought one of them is no longer here. Cedric is still special.  
"Well, we better get started!" Arisu said "Um... Well, you gotta say some really weird words to call Cedric's soul and... er... ask him something"  
"Like what?" I asked, not getting the the idea.  
"Like...um...Cedric, do you like roast beef? And then you place this....er....thing on top of the board and Cedric's supposed to move it towards the answer, you see" she explained.  
I nodded, thought I wasn't really sure I had understood Arisu's complex explanations. But since she had smiled, I had been forced to say yes. I loved Arisu's smile, it reminded me of Cedric's, and Cedric's smile made me feel secure and happy.   
Cedric...  
I had asked Arisu for help, I'm not really sure why. I could have asked any other Ravenclaw, but I knew that none of them would ever help me like Arisu. That's something I'll always like about her, whenever you needed her, there she was, ready to help. And when I told her, told her how terrible I felt about Cedirc's death. How much it had hurt me, and how I felt sorry I never told him how special he was for me, she said she would help. I had been expecting magical help, like a spell to call the death or something, not some silly muggle game. But since I knew she was trying her best, I agreed to skip this years Halloween feast and instead to go with her into an empty classroom and try to communicate with Cedric, but I really doubted we would have any luck.  
"And how do I get Cedric's soul down here?" I asked noticing the long silence that had gone between Arisu and me while I got my thoughts together.  
"I'm not sure... Maybe you should call him, like on the phone...."answered Arisu giving me her don't-ask-me look.  
"You mean like 'Hello? Heaven? Could I please have a word with Cedric Diggory?'....?" I asked trying to make some fun out of the situation. Arisu gave me a look that told me to stop fooling around.  
  
  
A cold wind entered the classroom. Arisu walked over towards the opened window and closed it. She gave a sudden shudder and pulled her black robes closer to her body.  
"My... This place's freezing" she muttered.  
"Should we try this at the common room" I suggested starting to feel a little cold too.  
"Nah...There's too much noise there after the feast, come on" she sat beside me and stared at the board excitedly, then turned to me.  
"Go on!" she said "Call him!"  
"C-Call Cedric?" I asked still not knowing how to.  
"Don't worry, I'm prepared. I brought peppermint and some anti-ghost powder in case something goes wrong" she said showing me a tiny bag she had been keeping under her robes.  
"Peppermint?" I asked.  
"I couldn't find onions, we gotta be prepared in case some vampire comes or something..." Arisu said matter-of-factly.  
"Yeah..."  
Arisu handed me the little triangle thing and pointed at the board. "Come on!"  
Slowly I took the little triangle in my hands and started moving it around the board, between all those words and letters written on it. Arisu gestured me with a hand to call Cedric.  
"Er.... Cedric? Are you there?" Immediately, Arisu hit her forehead with her hand trying to show me how terrible I was for calling spirits.  
"Er...If Cedric's spirit is here....Could you...er...Do something?" I said nervously. I had never before done something like that, even thought I seriously doubted it would work, I still had some hope.  
Arisu and I waited silently, I wasn't really sure what I was waiting for, but I waited. I moved my eyes around the room, trying to see something unusual, but the weirdest thing I saw was a table missing a leg. I looked at Arisu, her green cat-like yes were searching through the classroom, trying to find any sing of Cedirc. I looked around once again, at my sixth attempt to find something strange I knew it hadn't worked. I patted Arisu's back gently.  
I had met Arisu when we were around 6 years old, during my vacations to Japan. I was so surprised when I bumped onto her during the sorting ceremony. I never thought she would get me to sit in a cold and dark room in a Halloween night trying to contact spirits, I never did. Thought, it happened.  
Arisu turned towards me.  
"We did something wrong" she announced. I nodded.  
"So I noticed"  
She went silence for some moments, I knew what she was doing. She was trying to see what had gone wrong, I already knew what had gone wrong. First of all, this weird muggle game, everything about it was wrong. Number two, me. I was never good at Divination, how Professor Trelaway had said "books won't help", and I loved using books to study. If I couldn't see the future, how was I supposed to see someone who had died in the past?   
But Arisu didn't seem to think so.  
"I know!" she suddenly shouted "What we need are candles!"  
"CANDLES?!" I shouted surprised.  
"Yeah, they're really important for all this spirits stuff, you know" She jumped to her feet and walked towards the door.   
"Where are you going?" I asked jumping up after her.  
"To get some candles, I think I saw some on a lamp at the common room....It would be easier to transfigurate something, but I left my wand at our room" she explained pushing the door open and walking out. I didn't like the idea of being alone in a dark and cold room, but I hadn't brought my wand with me either. So, I just sat down next to that silly little muggle game of Arisu.   
I knew, that with candles or without them, that wasn't going to work. Muggles couldn't make magic, even if the thought that taking a rabbit out of hat was magical. Suddenly I felt a breeze of cold wind coming into the room, immediately I stood up and spotted the window Arisu had closed some moments ago opened again. Wondering how on earth a closed window just popped open suddenly, I walked over and tried to close it. I was never really strong or good for sports, quidditch was different, 'cause I was light and flying was easy for me, but aside from quidditch I really sucked for sports or for anything that required some strength. So, the window seemed stuck, and I was really having trouble closing it as the room seemed to go cooler at every second. I could feel myself shivering, and trying to find some heat in my black cloak. I tried closing the window in all the possible ways, but none seemed to work, it was completely stuck. I could have waited for Arisu and ask her for help, but the classroom was getting really cold for al the wind that was getting inside. Maybe too cold...  
I used all my strength trying to close the window in my last attempt, when I finally gave up, I gave along sigh. From the air that came out of my mouth, some mist formed. That was when I noticed how cold the room was. I looked around the room, wasn't there some air conditioner on or something? My father was really obsessed with muggles, and most of our holidays were spent in luxury muggle hotels.  
"Oh... Arisu! I'm so glad! Don't you feel this place's kind of col---" I started talking the moment I felt a cold hand touching my shoulder. I guessed it was Arisu, so I just started talking and slowly turned around. My heart really stopped when I saw that Arisu wasn't standing there...I'm not really sure what was standing there. It looked all blurry at first, but slowly I could see what... or should I say who, was standing there.   
"C-Cedric..."I whispered so softly that I'm sure none except for me heard me. I really felt confused, there he was, standing right in front of me... but then.... he was death! He looked different, thought. He didn't really had a color, he was a kind of pale blue. I just stood there, looking at him, not really knowing what to do. If I moved...would I wake up? If I touched him... Would he disappear? So I just looked at him, considering so as the safest thing to do.  
Then, he smiled. I could feel myself melting inside. Oh, how had I missed that smile! Arisu's smile reminded me a lot of Cedric's smile, sweet and soft, but it wasn't half as good as the real smile. I knew the room was completely freezing, and that I was surrounded by mist, but just seeing that smile made me feel warm, like I hadn't felt since Cedric's death. It also confirmed me that I wasn't dreaming, and that Cedric wasn't an illusion. There's no way at all that I, even in my mind, could copy that smile into an illusion or dream.  
He went on smiling, just looking into my eyes.   
"Hi Cho" he whispered. His voice sounded different, as if there was a echo in the room, and it sounded distant... Like if he was speaking from far away.  
I couldn't think about any reply, so I just laughed. Laughed. Laughed 'cause my body was filled with joy, I had seen his smile, and I had heard his voice, I didn't need anything else. I didn't wonder if Arisu's game had worked, or if Cedric was now a ghost, I just laughed.  
"What's so funny?" he asked with the same distant and double voice. Like if this was just another talk between classes or any other walk around the lake.  
"You...you are here" I finally managed to say.  
"That's funny?" he smiled. "Cho... I'm really here 'cause I need to talk to you" I nodded slowly, to show him that I was actually hearing him. He smiled again. Cedric looked different, pale blue and with a distant voice, but in a way, he looked fine.  
I know I should have asked what he had to say, but I didn't. I was afraid. When he finished talking, would he leave? I didn't want him to leave. I wanted to touch him and ask him to stay, but, how I said, I was afraid. What if my hand went right through him?  
"I been watching you, Cho" he said gently. "And hearing you..." he added. I knew what he meant perfectly, every single night I would pray for him and think about him, and talk to him. I wasn't sure if he could hear me, but I always told him how sorry I was.  
"Cho... There're many things I got to tell you..." he said. Slowly, he moved one of his pale blue hands close to my face and touched my cheek. I felt like if an ice cube was touching me, but inside, I felt like if a fire had been lit up.  
"First of all... It's not your fault" I knew what he was talking about. I looked down, I had always felt as if it was my fault... If I hadn't asked him... I could feel my eyes getting when a tears rolling down my cheeks. Cedric just looked as the tears came out of my eyes.  
"Don't cry, Cho..."  
"It's my fault" I whispered. I was having trouble talking, I had been keeping all those feelings for myself, and letting them out in a way hurt.  
"I-I asked you.... I told you... I said I would love the cup for Hogwarts... and... you-u... you smiled, and told me you would do anything and for me... and... I..." I broke off crying. All I could see were my own tears as I hid my face in my hands. I felt something cold playing with my hair.  
"Shhhh... It's not your fault, that's what I'm trying to tell you. Death's not anyone's fault... It just happens... and no, my death wasn't even Voldemorrt's fault." he said confident.  
I looked up surprised, by two reasons. He had said you-know-who's name, and he had in a way read my thoughts, a side from blaming myself, I would blame the dark lord.  
"No, it wasn't anybody's fault, death just... happens..." he said, then gave me once again his soft smile. He touched my face with his cold hands and cleaned my eyes from tears.  
"Number two: Cho, get a life!" he said. In a way it sounded really cruel, but I just waited, 'cause he was probably going to say something nice after that.  
"I really mean it, I'm the one who died, not you!" he laughed at his own joke. His laugh echoed all over the room, and sounded really distant. As if he was talking from far away.  
"Just look at you! Cho, I know I was your boyfriend and--"  
"I love you" I said without thinking about it twice. Cedric looked at me surprised, and then smiled as if was a little child and didn't know what love was. Maybe he was right, I had had many boyfriends before him, but he had been special. The other ones had just been the "looks", but Cedric wasn't only the "looks", he was intelligent and nice. So, I knew I felt really special towards him.  
"No, you don't love me" he said moving his head. "Look, I love you, you were the love of my life, I won't love anyone as I loved you, 'key? But you... You might have loved me, but now... You have another chance to--"  
"I LOVE YOU!" I shouted not listening to him, does he think he can tell what I feel better than I do?  
"Cho, things happen for a reason. You got a chance. You're beautiful, sweet, intelligent, and ... well, great. But you can't go on acting as if you are my widow or something. That you like someone again won't make me mad, I'll make me happy. Laugh with your friends, go out on dates, and become the best quidditch player eve--"  
"You're the best quidditch player the school has ever had" I said trying to say something as nice as all he was saying.  
"We both know Harry's awfully good at quidditch" he said in a way reading some of my thoughts "But, you'll try your best to show him your girl power, right?" he smiled. A long and sweet smile. And I admired. I admired his smile.  
I nodded.  
"Good. Point three: I know that after someone's death wearing black is common but... No offence Cho, but black's not your color. You look much better in green or blue, and knowing you as I do, I bet you don't like wearing black a bit" He took off my cloak from me and looked at the black dress I was wearing under my robes.  
"You really prefer blue or green?" I asked softly.  
"Yeah... And you look really cool in red, too" We both laughed. It wasn't really that funny, but I'm sure I won't ever had another chance of laughing with Cedric.  
He slowly moved closer towards me and kissed my forehead. I could sense that he was leaving in that kiss, not wanting him to go. I asked one final question.  
"Cedric... What're you?"  
Cedric looked down at his feet and then examined his pale blue hands.   
"I'm not really sure..."  
"You're a ghost?" I asked.  
"Nah, ghosts stay here forever...You've seen that Peeves has been bothering for a while, haven't you?" he said happily.   
"Then, you're an angel?"  
"No... I feel like I'm looking at an angel, so that means I'm not and angel" he said looking at me. I smiled shyly, I'm not sure why, but even if he teased me after death, I would smile shyly.  
"Then..." I started.  
"I'm just a memory" he said suddenly "A memory that leaves in your heart.... It's really complex, Cho. But someday you'll understand what kind of memory I am.  
"Just a memory" I repeated softly. Cedric gave me a last sweet smile. A happy smile, then I noticed. He wouldn't be smiling like that if... I f he wasn't happy, and that made me feel much better. Wherever he was, he was happy.  
I didn't even notice when suddenly the wind, the mist, and the cold atmosphere left. And so did Cedric, I was too happy like for noticing, 'cause I knew Cedric was happy.  
  
"CHO! CHO! OH, MY, CHO! WHAT HAPPENED?!"  
I turned towards the door that had just been opened. Then it was when I noticed that everything was gone, I didn't look back or searched for him, I knew he was close to me in a way.  
"YOU'RE ALL RIGHT?!" I looked up. Arisu came in running and grabbed me by the shoulders.  
"What happened? I was so worried, I came back and heard voices and couldn't open the door! I was about to call professor Flitwick!" she shouted looking at me nervously.  
"Oh, nothing. Just a memory" I smiled at her happily.  
  
  
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Author's Note: What do you think? I know it sucks, just try not to remind me about it! So, if you're gonna flame, please make it constructive. By the way, Arisu's game didn't work. Cedric appeared 'cause...er... well, not because of the game.  



End file.
